Myth Busting The Paleo Diet

There has been a lot of media coverage re: the Paleo Diet of late which has meant a larger number of individuals are starting to follow it in attempt to improve their health. Unfortunately we have seen a handful of people in the last 2 months who have been following this diet and have had some adverse effects from it. Namely higher cholesterol results when previous readings were in the normal range prior to the diet, headaches and fatigue. 

So with this in mind we wanted to do some Myth busting - 

What is the Paleo diet

The Paleo diet is based on the diet of our Palaeolithic ancestors and focuses on only consuming foods that our ancestors consumed during this time. The diet is high in protein and fat and lower in carbohydrate– it allows people to consume fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, while excluding dairy, grains, alcohol, processed foods, refined sugar, potatoes and salt.  The modern Paleo diet also promotes the use of coconut oil and butter, while recommending legumes be avoided. During this period, food choices also depended on availability which supports that the diet altered between region and season, and revealing there was no one specific Paleo diet.

Risks of following the Paleo diet

It is not recommended that individuals follow the Paleo diet as the exclusion of grains and dairy foods places people at risk of nutrient deficiencies and at risk of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis. By encouraging people to use saturated fats such as butter and coconut oil, the diet also places followers at an increased risk of heart disease. It is great that the diet encourages more fruits and vegetables and some unsaturated fats such as avocado and nuts and encourages the avoidance of processed and refined discretionary foods. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating also recommends this. Followers of this diet claim that our current dietary guidelines are causing us to be overweight however the recent Australian Health Survey indicates Australian’s are eating less fruits and vegetables and greater than a third of our daily dietary calories come from foods high in saturated fat and refined sugars.

In addition, research also suggests that grains were consumed at some stage during the Palaeolithic era despite the diet encouraging avoidance of them. Research has demonstrated the benefits of wholegrains for managing weight and also for the digestive tract. Research also discussed the importance of dairy for bone health.

Summary

1. Anthropologists know that there was not one Paleolithic diet and evidence exists that shows that during this period of time humans consumed both grains and legumes.
2. The Paleo diet is not recommended as a diet low in carbohydrates, high in fat and high in protein is not supported by the extensive body of research.
   
3. The Paleo diet limits legumes which are rich in fibre and protein, dairy which is rich in calcium and grains which are high in fibre, carbohydrates, Grains have been found to be associated with a lower BMI and waist circumference.
   
4. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat and calories and research recommends this oil not be included regularly in the diet due to the risk of heart disease. Interestingly humans in Paleolithic times would not have consumed coconut oil as they had no means of extracting and refining it!
   
5. Only 5.5% of Australian adults consume the recommended serves of fruit and vegetables every day.
   

We hope this helps with your knowledge and if you need further advice Simply Nutrition Dietitians are able to help with understanding the risks of following the Paleo diet, and provide healthy, balanced nutritional recommendations instead. 

References
Dietitians Association of Australia. Part 2: The modern paleo diet: What is it? Available from: http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/smart-eating-for-you/nutrition-a-z/paleo-diet/part-2-the-modern-paleo-diet-what-is-it/
Dietitians Association of Australia. Part 1: The paleo diet: What is it?
National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Available from: http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating
Osteoporosis Australia. Calcium, vitamin D and osteoporosis.